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German Christmas stollen recipe
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Dresden-style German Christmas stollen

Sweet bread dessert that is perfect with a cup of coffee.
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword christmas stollen, Dresden stollen, German Christmas stollen, German stollen
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rising time 3 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2 loaves
Calories 138kcal
Author Joe Boyle

Ingredients

Fruit

Sponge

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast, 2 1/4 tsp.
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 cup scalded whole milk, cooled to under 110° *see notes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp softened butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 2 tbsp melted butter to brush onto baked stollen
  • 3 to 4 tbsp granulated sugar to sprinkle onto stollen

Instructions

Fruit

  • Place the fruit into a bowl or jar and add the rum. stir to coat. Soak fruit for 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Sponge

  • Place the water and yeast in a small bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the milk and flour and whisk to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20 to 30 minutes.

Dough

  • Place the sponge and all additional dough ingredient, (minus the fruit and almonds), into the stand mixer bowl. Beat with the paddle attachment until all the flour is mostly incorporated. 5 mins.
  • Switch to a dough hook and knead the dough on low speed, (KitchenAid 2), until it forms a ball. 5 mins.
  • Add the fruit and its liquid along with the almonds and mix on low until the fruit is well distributed in the dough. You can use a spatula to help push the ingredients together. If the dough is sticking to the bowl, add more flour, 1 to 2 tsp. at a time until the dough releases from the bowl.
  • Coat the sides of the bowl with cooking spray to prevent sticking and cover with a dish towel and move to a warm place. Let the dough rise until the volume doubles, 2 hours.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the dough and separate into 2 equal size balls. Form the loaves by pressing the dough into a rectangle approx 10" by 8". Fold one of the 10" sides over to make a loaf approx. 10" by 5". Crimp the joined dough well with your fingers.
  • Place the loaves on the parchment, cover again, and let rise for 1 hour
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Place the stollen into the oven until the internal temperature is at least 190°, around 40 minutes. If the loaves seem to be getting too brown, tent them with foil.
  • When the loaves are done, place them on  cooling rack and immediately brush with melted butter and generously sprinkle with granulated sugar. (Powdered sugar can be used also, but I prefer granulated sugar).
  • Once cooled to room temperature, place the loaves into plastic bags or fully enclose in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature until ready to eat. The flavor improves with aging 1 to 2 weeks. Store in a cool place for longer storage times.

Notes

  1. To scald the milk, put the milk into a stainless steel pot on medium-high heat. Bring the temperature of the milk up to 180°F, Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Don't let the milk boil. A film of milk fats will start to form when the temperature is nearing 180°. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to under 110°F before using.
  2. The Christmas stollen freezes well. It is best to double wrap with plastic as airtight as possible. It will keep for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 138kcal